Hidden Affection
by TeamEmmettMcCarty
Summary: After suffering from a horrible nightmare, young Harry finds the only person to comfort him is his aunt Petunia. Set a couple years after the death of Lily and James.


Author note: sorry for not uploading for ages. This might seem ooc, but I've had this one-shot in my head for ages and finally got round to uploading it. Enjoy :D

Alishia x

disclaimer:sadly I own nothing, it all belongs to JK :)

She hears the screams before she's fully conscious, thinking its only part of her dream Petunia turns onto her other side trying to fall asleep once more .she hears the screams again,this time she hears crying too. A small voice yells out "mummy!" . A voice that is full of pain and terror, too much for anyone that young. Petunia bolts out of bed before the young boy can wake anyone else up. Her own son Dudley, sleeps all night long, a trait inherited from his father while her nephew suffers from nightmares no four year old should have to deal with. The screaming stops when light floods in from the hall way and Petunia shuts the door quietly, so the young boy is not startled . The blue bed dips when she sits on it, stroking the boys jet black hair. The moonlight coming in from the small window, reflects off the trail of tears on the boy's cheek. "Harry," Petunia whispers shaking Harry's thin form. Harry's eyes open full of unshed tears. Those green eyes still stop Petunia's heart after all these years, green eyes that once belonged to her sister. Now all she has of her is an orphaned boy,growing up without knowing the reality of who he is. Harry sits up right and wipes the tears away. The boy looks terrified, his face drained of colour,an expression too old for his fresh,young face. Harry reaches out and pulls Petunia into a hug, not used to the affection, Petunia freezes for a minute before awkwardly rubbing the boy's back. It's quiet for a few seconds before harry asks,"aunt petunia? Why don't I have a mummy and daddy?"

Petunia gasps before recovering and her brain starts to whirl with images of a girl with long red hair with sparkling emerald eyes full of joy and wonder,the only colours in a sea of black and white. Hazy childhood memories of parks and tea parties, teddies and daisy chains. Forgotten stories and a child's musical laugh fills Petunia's head. Petunia blinks before the tears can fall and looks down at the young boy in her arms. Pushing his fringe back and looking at the lighting bolt scar left on his forehead, an unusual scar for and unusual boy.

"Your parents were taken away when you were very little. They were needed somewhere else."

"Don't they love me?" harry asked. His young face showing his distress.

"Of course they love you, even though you can't see them they're still looking after you."

This did not soothe Harry. Struggling out of Petunia's arms, Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "But how do you know?"

Petunia nearly laughed at the expression on his face, it was one Lily would wear when she questioned something.

"Because," she said sadly "I know my sister, and I know she'd do everything in her power to look over you."

"okay." Harry yawned and crawled back into bed. "can you tell me a story about mummy?"

Petunia smoothed the blanket over harry and looked down at her hands. on her right hand, her index finger a single ring lay. A ring given to Petunia by her sister as a wedding present.

"Once upon a time there was a girl called Lily Evans and she had beautiful red hair and green eyes." Petunia voiced, looking harry in the face,h is hair sticking up in all directions and falling in his eyes.

"like me?" Harry asked, inquisitive as ever.

"Exactly like yours." Petunia told harry, moving the hair out of his eyes.

"she was so kind and gentle and everyone that met her loved her. she lived with her older sister and her loving parents. She had many friends and everything was perfect."

"what happened?" Harry wondered.

"she was different from everyone else. When things would happen to and around her people started to worry what was wrong with her. One day she got a letter from a school in a faraway place that was for people like Lily. She was invited to join the school and learn lots of new things. Lily loved to learn about new things and was extremely bright. She was excited to go but that meant leaving her sister. Lily and her sister were best friends and did everything together and it was hard to say good bye, but Lily still did it, she left her sister with only her parents for company. When Lily retuned home she was full of magical stories. She had grew up and didn't need her sister any more. Lily's sister loved listening to those stories but it made her upset that she couldn't go and Lily and her sister fell out and would fight and argue. This didn't make lily's sister love her any less, no matter what Lily thought. It was hard on her sister to be apart from lily's new life. Lily had new friends and met a boy called James Potter. Lily would tell her sister all about James. He was a handsome boy and very clever, he played jokes on Lily all the time. Lily hated him at first. Later on Lily and James became friends and Lily would see her sister less as she stayed at school to see James. Lily's sister found a new friend of her own and they soon got married, meanwhile Lily finished school and married James. Lily hardly saw her sister any more and she missed Lily so much but was too proud to admit it. The last day Lily saw her sister, they had a huge argument, the worst one yet, she regrets that everyday now. She would give anything to tell Lily that she loved her one last time." Petunia trailed off her voice growing weaker. Petunia wiped her eyes to hide the tears but she needn't have bothered, Harry was now fast asleep. Petunia edged closer to Harry and stroked his hair. After taking a couple of minutes to calm herself down, Petunia got off the bed and edged towards to the door. However she delayed in the doorway.

Looking down at the sleeping boy in the bed Petunia murmured "love you Lils. I miss you." Petunia sniffed as she closed the door behind her.

A clock chimed in the hallway marking the new hour and the third anniversary of Lily's and James' death.

Today wasn't the first day Petunia regretted how the relationship ended with her sister and it wouldn't be the last. Yet not one day went without Petunia trying to keep the last part of her sister with her and away from Hogwarts and the dangerous world of magic.


End file.
